Past and present of Fountain and Warren Counties, Indiana, Volume 1, Part 21

Author: Clifton, Thomas A., 1859-1935, ed
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 672


USA > Indiana > Fountain County > Past and present of Fountain and Warren Counties, Indiana, Volume 1 > Part 21
USA > Indiana > Warren County > Past and present of Fountain and Warren Counties, Indiana, Volume 1 > Part 21


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30


Prairie


Kent


West Lebanon


State Line City


Totals


$89,462


Value of Total


Taxables.


446,270


566,250


332, 175


770,905


399,415


421,605 535,670


705,955


524,820


580,415


289,660 715,530 215,980


123,430


39,720


$6,668,000


Taxes.


$4,295


7,974


3,933 8,993


5,033 6,420 7,576 9,371


7,458


6,455 5,775


10,237


3.239


1,862


836


VALUATION AND TAXES IN 1882.


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225


FOUNTAIN AND WARREN COUNTIES, INDIANA.


The last financial statement made by the county officers -- that of 1912 --


gives the total valuation of all taxables in the county as $1 3.470,495. The town- ship having the highest property valuation was Steuben, with $1,5,10,115 worth of property, while the lowest in the county was Kent, with a valuation of $284,575. These tables show the contrast with thirty years ago, as well as


tending to show the general development and rise in the price of lands.


The total amount of receipts in the county in 1911 was $437,113, while


the disbursements amounted to $361,648; balance in treasury, on January 1, 1912, $76,127.55.


The valuation by townships in 1912 were as follows :


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Washington township


Pine township


Mound township Steuben township Pike township


West Lebanon (town) Warren township Medina township


Adams township Liberty township


Jordan township Williamsport (town) Prairie township


State Line (town) Kent township


Pine Village


Total in county


It should be stated that the lands in Warren county which are selling at


from fifty to two hundred dollars per acre, are only listed by the above as- sessment at one-third their actual value, hence the county's valuation is act- ually very much greater than would be indicated by this table. In fact, a few years since it was known to be the wealthiest county in Indiana, of the same


677.565


978,310


493.465


1,540,115


562,885


875,110


730,620


288,340 1,799.965


1,018,345 1,708,100


544,705


1,877,985


284,575


73,465


106,945


$13,470,495


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(15) population.


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226


FOUNTAIN AND WARREN COUNTIES, INDIANA.


COUNTY BUILDINGS.


The history of the various court houses in Warren county, briefly stated. is as follows: If not too dignified a term, the first court house in this county was a hewed-log house, standing at Warrenton ( the first seat of justice ) and it was owned by Enoch Farmer. In fact, it was Mr. Farmer's residence, and in it the county court was held and general business transacted. This served its purpose until the county seat went to Williamsport, and then the officials assembled in a log house owned by William Harrison, the proprietor of the town of Williamsport. This building was first used by the county in July, 1829, and served as a county building until the autumn of 1830, when the build- ing owned jointly by Samuel Ullery, J. C. Irvin, Malinda Beard and Eliza C. Finch was rented for county purposes, but owing to some unforeseen circum- stances, it was not occupied until the following March. About one year later, the first steps were taken for the providing of a real court house. John Mercial was engaged to clear the timber from the public square, receiving ten dollars for such labor. For reasons now lost sight of, and not particular. the county did not use the Ullery building much, but preferred the Harrison house for the holding of the offices. 1831 came, and still the commissioners felt the county was too poor to try to erect a building. hence the matter was post- poned. The county had been doing business on "paper" since 1827, and that had usually brought about ninety-five cents on a dollar. There was no real money in the hands of the citizens of Warren county. What came in, for a time, was soon spent in entering lands at the government land office. Three- fourths of the people were unable to pay their taxes. The assessments, though very low, were fraught with many "delinquent" items on the treasurer's books. However, the wonderful immigration to the county in 1831-32 served to re- deem the county orders, replenish the treasury and inspire the county com- missioners to take measures to build a long-needed county building. In May, 1832, specifications were prepared and placed on exhibition, and bids solicited. It was to be a brick building, forty fect square and twenty-three feet high. In July, 1832, the contract was let to E. W. Jones and Seth Flowers to con- struct the court house. They were to receive three hundred dollars Septem- ber Ist, the balance to be paid in installments as the work progressed, and the court house was to be ready for occupancy by August, 1833.


Thomas Gilbert, who had donated fifty thousand bricks for a court house, should the county seat be located at Williamsport, failed to comply with his agreement and the county had to look elsewhere for such building material. The county agent then brought suit against Mr. Gilbert, a judgment was ob-


227


FOUNTAIN AND WARREN COUNTIES, INDIANA.


tained, but subsequently a compromise was effected. he paying a part of the value of the promised bricks. All this delayed the completion of the court house, and it was not until June, 1834, that the structure was ready for oc- cupancy. The building cost in round figures about two thousand dollars. Only a year after it was finished, it was found defective and had to be strengthened, and other floors and stairways were then added. It was not long before the county officers had to look elsewhere for quarters. Among the buildings selected as a makeshift was that of James Cunningham. In June, 1845. the commissioners contracted with Richard Treadway for the erection of two office rooms. for the use of the officials. These were built on the south side of the square, and the cost was eight hundred sixty-eight dol- lars and fifty cents: three years later the same man received six hundred twenty-seven dollars for building fire-proof safes for the county records. In 1853 a second building was provided for the clerk and recorder. James Jones erected that building for one thousand and fifty dollars. These various sub- stitutes for a real court house served until the building of the 1870 structure, which was the one just before the present fine edifice.


In 1870 a committee appointed to examine into the condition of the old court house reported it unsafe, and about that time B. F. Gregory and others made tenders of land and other property, provided the county commissioners would immediately erect a new court house. Much opposition was encountered at the time, although specifications were prepared and bids called for. Sessions of court were held in various buildings, including old store rooms. The county was in need of a good home of its own. Still a majority of the com- missioners defeated any further progress in the work of court house building. Early in 1871, however, with B. F. Gregory at the head, things started again, and bids were a second time solicited from contractors. Finally, Hays & Evans, of Bloomington, Illinois, were awarded the contract, at forty-eight thousand four hundred dollars, and G. R. Randall, architect, of Chicago, was given the position of superintendent on the work. He was to receive two and one-half per cent. of the price of the building for his services. While the county treasury had already quite a sum of cash on hand, the county saw fit to bond itself in the sum of ten thousand dollars. The old court house was sold to Cyrus Romine for three hundred and twenty-five dollars. The court house that was erected as above mentioned, early in the seventies, was accepted in De- cember, 1872, and the contractors paid in full. It was trimmed with native stone, and in its day was an excellent building. In 1886, however, the new site for the county building was chosen and a new edifice was soon completed. on the site of the present handsome building. That building stood until


228


FOUNTAIN AND WARREN COUNTIES, INDIANA.


destroyed ( almost totally) by the fire of January 20. 1907. A part of the walls were used in the new building, the history of which appears in para- graphs following this.


VARIOUS COUNTY JAILS.


Warren county was provided with a jail before it had a court house. In the summer of 1830 such a building was contracted for, the contract being awarded to Benjamin Crow, for five hundred sixty dollars. It was a very heavy log structure, well protected with stone work. It was finished and ac- cepted by the authorities in November, 1831. This jail served until 1848, when Richard Treadway was employed to construct a new one, which he did and had tl: ame completed in the autumn of 1849. Mr. Treadway received the sum of two thousand five hundred dollars; he claimed he had lost five hundred dollars on the contract, and the commissioners very kindly paid him two hundred dollars more. That jail was in use until the present one was erected. This was built when the new and present court house was erected, in 1907. It is safe and thoroughly modern.


PRESENT COURT HOUSE AND JAIL.


On the morning of Sunday, January 20, 1907, the old court house took fire and slowly burned all that night, almost totally destroying the structure, save a few of the walls, which were utilized in the construction of the present building, which was completed in a year from the fire. The contents of the various county offices were fortunately saved, except sundry old records in the auditor's office, which loss was occasioned by the falling in of the dome. Among the lost records were the county commissioners' records from early days down to about the eighties-a great loss, but not so bad as though it had been of recent-day records. A contract was awarded to Jahr & Cope, con- tractors, of Urbana, Illinois, for the construction of the new structure, and for the new jail, the two buildings costing the county in round numbers about one hundred and five thousand dollars. It is a brick, stone-trimmed building after modern plans and is finely finished within and without. It is said no finer court house can be found in any county seat of the same sized county, area and population considered, in the entire United States. The grounds are beautified and kept in first class order. The public square is made attractive by two large brass cannon, which were purchased from the government, at Rock Island, at three hundred dollars, which included a triangular mound of seven-


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FOUNTAIN AND WARREN COUNTIES, INDIAN.A.


inch cannon balls. These cannon stand on the southwest and northwest cor- ners of the square, and speak of Civil-war days, but their mouths are now silent reminders to the few veterans who still remain here and who saw service in that war. These pieces of ordnance are greatly admired by all, especially the Grand Army men of the county.


THE COUNTY POOR FARM.


The care which any people takes of its soldiery and its unfortunate poor is a true index of their general character. The son or daughter who cares for his or her parents in old age or in sickness, makes a good man or woman and the taxpayer of any county who does not begrudge what he is assessed to supply the pauper element of the county with the necessities of life, may always be counted upon in times of peace, as well as in war, to do his whole duty to his countrymen. In Warren county at first there were some who opposed this humane manner of treating the unfortunate men and women, and actually, as officers of the townships, ordered such persons to "depart at once," but this custom did not long obtain. A transient known as John Camp- bell in 1831 was the first to receive aid from the charities of the county. He was allowed to be kept by Levi Murdock five months, for which Murdock re- ceived twenty dollars. Each township had its own overseer of the poor in the earlier history of Warren county, and these officers looked to the actual necessities of the paupers and in case of death gave them a respectable, Chris- tian burial. The next step in caring for the poor here was to "farm out" the paupers to the lowest bidder, and this custom prevailed many years. In cer- tain instances, this worked a great hardship to the poor man or woman, who perchance fell into the hands of some one who took them, not for the object of making them reasonably happy and comfortable, but solely for the purpose of making money out of their labor. But in a majority of cases the poor were well treated at the hands of the men who took them to provide for. In 1833, Seymour Cobb was paid quite a sum for keeping Elizabeth Bell, whom he furnished with clothing and a home. James Foreman, another pauper, was buried at county expense in 1837. His coffin was made by Thomas Thomas. Up to 1837 the average amount paid for keeping the county's poor was about fifty dollars per year, but after that the bills began to increase rapidly. Up to November, 1838, the largest bill presented and allowed was that of Isaac High, for seventy-four dollars, and to show the care taken to let the public know just where every farthing of money went, in those days, the following . itemized bill is given :


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FOUNTAIN AND WARREN COUNTIES, INDIANA.


"November 20, 1838.


"Board of Commissioners of Warren County, Dr. to Isaac High for keeping Eliphalet Lovelett, a poor boy, four months, $27; nursing by Jerusha Ford for three months, $30; board for the nurse thirteen weeks, $13; doctor bill paid to Dr. J. 11. Buell, $15; total debits, $85. Credits-One chest and one fiddle, $4; one coat and one pair of pants, $7. Total credits, $11. Whole amount due, $74.


"Personally appeared before us, James S. Crawford and Ephraim Nor- ton, overseers of the poor in Steuben township, Warren county, the said Isaac High, and being by ns sworn, says that the above amount is just and unpaid this ist day of September, 1845.


his "ISAAC X HIGII. mark


"We. the overseers of the poor of Steuben township, Warren county. Indiana, after examining several disinterested witnesses under oath, allow the above amount to be legal and just on this ist day of September, 1845.


"JAMES S. CRAWFORD, "EPHRAIM NORTON. "Overseers of the Poor."


Then for another period in the history of this county the townships cared for their own paupers and a physician was secured by such township by the year to look after the health of such persons. The expense of keeping the poor people of the county for the year ending June, 1843, was three hundred thirty-seven dollars and twenty cents. This had increased by 1850 to eight hundred seventy-eight dollars and fourteen cents.


In December, 1853, one hundred and twenty acres of land was pur- chased by the county for a "poor farm." This land is situated in section 20, township 22, range 8 west, and comprises the southwest quarter of the south- east quarter of the section named. It was bought of Mrs. Brown for two thousand dollars and especially for the purpose named. Just the ordinary farm buildings and dwelling house made up the improvements. Other build- ings had soon to be erected and James Quick was secured to take charge of the farm and the inmates of the place. It appears, however, that Mr. Quick did not serve, but in his stead the appointment went to Reuben R. Ranson, who was the first superintendent of the poor farm in this county. The com- missioners opened the new home for the paupers throughout the county, but


231


FOUNTAIN AND WARREN COUNTIES, INDIANA.


fully one half preferred to remain in private families, and have the county pay the expense thus made, but later this plan was changed. For the year ending June 1, 1856, the expense for keeping the poor of the county was one thousand seven hundred and twenty dollars. A part of this amount, however, had been for farm improvements. In 1856 Dr. C. R. Rogers con- tracted to care for the poor, as their physician, at one hundred dollars. He was succeeded in 1857 by Dr. Sanders. Mr. Ranson remained superintendent of the farm until 1859, when he was sneceeded by Daniel J. Doty. In 1864, John Berry became superintendent, and was followed in 1865 by Andrew S. Howland. In 1871-72, Mr. Howland and David Moore took charge of the farm jointly, and in 1873 Howland had it alone. In 1875 Alexander Mchaffy was superintendent, and was succeeded by Mr. Howland again in 1876, con- tinuing until 1879. when Mehaffy again resumed his place as superintendent. and remained until his death, in 1882, when his son Edward took charge. Others have had charge of the poor farm from that date to the present, at which time J. S. Davis is the capable superintendent, and receives one thousand two hundred dollars per year for his services.


The following items of poor farm expenses have been taken from the records : Caring for the poor of the county in 1859, $2,000: in 1862, $2,640; in 1863, $2,310; in 1864, $3,479: in 1866, $3,815; in 1867. $5,004; in 1870, $5.700 ; in 1874. $3.714: in 1878, $7,535; in 1882, $5.468. According to the last official report made by the county, the cost of maintaining the paupers of Warren county in the year ending January 1, 1912, was $4,041. The farm is now self-sustaining. At the date last named the number of inmates at the farm was eight male and four females. Their average age was eleven for the year.


In 1869, a superior farm was purchased near the center of Liberty town- ship, consisting of four hundred and forty acres. It was bought of Thomas J. Cheneweth, to be used as a poor farm. The old one had become too small for the increasing demand of the ever-increasing poor. The old farm was subsequently sold and the necessary buildings erected in the new location in Liberty township. These new buiklings cost originally about twelve thousand dollars. In 1882 this new brick poorhouse was looked upon as a credit to the good judgment of the people of Warren county. There were then about forty inmates in this truly humane institution, and all were being well cared for at public expense. With repairs and additions, the same building is still used. The burden on taxpayers for the support of the paupers is not large or heavy on anyone.


CHAPTER V.


POLITICAL HISTORY.


Here in Warren county, as in every other wide-awake section of the state, men eligible to a vote have always taken considerable interest in the political issues in the various campaigns, both in state and national elections. The unwritten history of politics here would fill many volumes, and the written records of the many county conventions and elections, for all these four score and more years, are all too lengthy to even touch on in a work like this. It is best, however, to glance at the political complexion of the county and to give, so far as possible from records, a list of those who have represented Warren county in county, state or nation.


The first settlers of this county came in from other states where the political waves had been running high, and they naturally desired to carry out their old notions of carrying on a democratic form of government in the interests of all the people. The county was divided here, and the lines were drawn tightly. The vote in 1827 was as follows: For state senator, James Blair (Whig), eighty votes; Anios Robinson ( Democratic), twenty- two votes. For state representative, John Beard ( Whig), sixty-six votes; Henry Ristine ( Democratic), thirty-one. Sheriff, Nimrod Harrison ( Whig). thirty-one votes ; Holder Sisson (Democrat), twenty-nine votes. For coroner, Francis Boggs (Whig), thirty-four votes; Joseph Thomas ( Democratic ). twenty-eight votes. The number of votes cast at that election was one hun- dred and three.


The presidential campaign came on the next year-1828-when the party opposed to the Democratic organization were known as National Repub- licans, Whigs or Anti-Masons. General Jackson was the standard bearer for the Democrats. He was confronted by John Quincy Adams, who had been placed in the Presidential chair in 1824 by the House of Representatives. The election in Warren county passed off without much excitement. The Demo- crats were defeated in the county. Jackson was elected President and re- elected in 1832. The vote that year in Warren county was: Clay and Sar- gent, Whig ticket-Warren township, 33; Washington, 151 ; Pike. 28; Mound, 39; Medina, 34; Pine, 16: total, 301. Jackson and Van Buren, Democratic ticket-Warren. 13: Washington, 81 ; Pike, 5 : Mound, 79: Medina, 57, Pine, 32 : total. 267.


233


FOUNTAIN AND WARREN COUNTIES, INDIANA.


In 1836 the partisan lines were first closely drawn in Warren county. It was then first noticed that candidates for political honors were seen shaking hands with the "dear people." and traveling over the county soliciting votes from their fellow citizens. Speeches were made here and there and the people "enlightened" according to the most approved style of those times. The vote by townships in this county was as follows: Harrison and Granger ( Whig ticket), Warren, 56; Washington, 207; Medina, 85; Mound, 49: Pike, 50; Pine, 90; Steuben, no election held; Madison (in Benton county then), 4; total, 541 votes. Van Buren and Johnson, Democratic ticket-Warren, 36; Washington, 89; Medina, 40; Mound, 69; Pike, 20; Pine, 63; Steuben, no election; Madison, 12; total, 329 votes. Thus the county again went anti- Democratic by an increased majority.


But the first really interesting and great Presidential campaign in War- ren county was that of 1840, when public meetings were held all over the county, clubs were formed, flags and mottoes were unfurled and the entire populace were aroused to the highest political pitch. It was styled the "Tippe- canoe and Tyler too" campaign in honor of the popular standard bearers of the Whig party. It was the "Log Cabin" campaign, when just prior to the election a large per cent. of the voters went on horseback to the old battlefield in Tippe- canoe county, just above Lafayette, where an immense mass meeting was held and speakers of world-wide fame expounded the issues to the eager voters. Numerous canoes and miniature log cabins were placed on wheels and drawn around the country. Also "hard cider," and possibly a stronger beverage, cut considerable of a figure in that campaign, when Gen. William Henry Har- rison, the hero of the battle of Tippecanoe, was the standard bearer on the one side and Van Buren on the other. The vote in Warren county that year stood : For Harrison and Tyler ( Whig), Washington, 248; Pine, 77; Mound, 67; Pike, 41 ; Warren, 163; Steuben, 42; Medina, 102; total, 740 votes. For Van Buren and Johnson (Democratic), Washington, 104; Pine, 53; Mound, 63; Pike, 20; Warren, 73; Steuben, 3; Medina, 32; total vote, 348. This gave the Whigs a majority of 392.


Before the election of 1844 came on the country, including Warren county, became much agitated over the extension of slavery. The Demo- cratic party sought to elect a President favorable to the adr sion of Texas as a slave state, and this brought out the radical element in the Abolition ranks and the fight was indeed a fierce one. The Whig party nominated Henry Clay for President, while the Democrats chose James K. Polk, who was elected. There were also other tickets in the field, but none of great importance. The Liberty party placed in nomination Birney and Morris, their platform


234


FOUNTAIN AND WARREN COUNTIES, INDIANA.


differing somewhat from the Whigs, yet it was the same in opposing the an- nexation of Texas or any other territory that should increase the slave power of the United States. The vote in Warren county that fall stood as follows: The Whig party received a total of 779 votes, the Democratic received 470 votes and the Liberty party received ten votes.


It was not until the campaign of 1848 that the Free Soil party movement 11 felt in this county. The violent debates in Congress over the one absorb- ing ssue, that of slavery, attracted national attention. The speeches made in the halls of Congress on the admission of more slave territory, resulted from the Wilmot Proviso, introduced by David Wilmot, of Pennsylvania, and which bill prohibited any territory that might be acquired from Mexico becoming slave territory, as was wanted by the Democratic party. The interest in Warren county caused a Free Soil party to be organized in time to be recog- nized in the campaign of 1848. The vote that fall stood : Taylor and Filmore ( Whig), 708 votes; Cass and Butterfield! ( Democratic ), 460 votes; Van Buren and Adams ( Free Soil), 68 votes.


Even after that election, the feeling grew intense in Warren county, and all read with interest the speeches in Congress that led up to the passage of the celebrated Omnibus bill, introduced by Henry Clay in 1850. It pro ded that California might be admitted into the Union as a free state, but also re- quired that all slaves should be returned to their masters. Both Clay and his measure of compromise were hailed with delight by all save the Abolitionists, who were then just getting on their "real fighting clothes," as the sequel proved. The Free Soil party kept the South nettled, and it grew in strength and power here in Warren county, as well as every place in the Northern states. At the November, 1852, election Warren county's vote stood: Scott and Graham (Whigs), 850 votes; Pierce and King ( Democratic), 552 votes; Hale and Julian (Free Soil ticket ), 56 votes.




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